Relation of ABO blood groups to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis: An Gensini score assessment

Abstract Objective : Although the study on the relationship between ABO blood groups and coronary atherosclerosis has a long history, few data is available regarding ABO to severity of coronary atherosclerosis in a large cohort study. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relation of the ABO blood groups to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis assessed by Gensini score (GS) in a large Chinese cohort undergoing coronary angiography. Methods : A total of 2919 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled, and their baseline characteristics and ABO blood groups were collected. The GS was calculated as 1st tertile (0–10), 2nd tertile (11–36), 3rd tertile (>36) according to angiographic results. The relation of the ABO blood groups to GS was investigated. Results : The frequency of blood group A was significantly higher in the upper GS tertiles (24.4% vs. 28.2% vs. 29.5%, p = 0.032). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that blood group A was independently associated with GS ( β = 0.043, p = 0.017). Likewise, multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that group A remained significantly associated with mid-high GS (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.16–1.80, p = 0.001), and the group O was showed as a protective factor (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.65–0.92, p = 0.004). Conclusion : In this large Chinese cohort study, the data indicated that there was an association between ABO blood groups and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Moreover, the blood group A was an independent risk factor for serious coronary atherosclerosis.